Contrary to the conclusion of Sargent and Wallace, it is possible to exogenously and independently vary monetary and fiscal policy and retain steady-state equlibrium in economies like the United States. In particular,the central bank is not forced to monetize increased deficits either now or in...

This paper shows that the effects on real income and the price level of the 1973-1974 oil price increase are quite ambiguous on both theoretical and empirical grounds. The theoretical analysis reviews standard results and extends them to analyze the steady-state equilibrium and endogenous...

The balance of payments, changes in our terms of trade, and other foreign influences are widely believed to be a major, if not the dominant, cause of U.S. inflation. This is possible only if the international economy has caused a significant increase in the growth rate of the nominal quantity of...

The decline of velocity in the 1980s is a surprise that should not have been. Economists unwisely relied on a velocity trend of 3 percent per year when they should have insisted on an economic explanation for rising velocity. An analysis of velocity and interest rates from 1915 to 1986 suggests...